Ice-bos



F. H. BAUER.

ICE BOX.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 8. 1916.

Patented Aug. 1, 1916.

FREDERICK H. BAUER, F FORT WORTH, TEXAS.

ICE-Box.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK H. BAUER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Worth, inthe county of Tarrant and State of Texas, have invented certain new panying drawings and will be hereinafter fully described, the novel features being subsequently pointed out in the claims following the description.

In the annexed drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of an ice box provided with my improvements; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the tracks.

The ice box 1 may be of any ordinary construction and the lids orcovers- 2 will be of proper dimensions to extend over and 'fully cover the openings to the ice or provision chambers. To the sides of the ice box, below the upper edge of the same, I secure tracks 3 which are disposed in pairs and( have their inner ends extended past each other, as

shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 3. The tracks are inclined downward from their inner ends to their outer ends and in their' intermediate portions are provided with more sharply inclined sections 4, as shown. Notches or recesses 5 aie also provided in the upper surfaces of the tracks at the inner ends thereof, and these notches or recesses constitute stops whereby the opening movement of the lids or covers is limited and by which the cover may be held in the open position. The tracks will preferably be constructed of angle iron secured to the sides of the ice box by screws or similar devices inserted through lugs or ears 6 depending the side edges of the covers or lids 2, I secure brackets 7 which extend laterally over andbeyond the sides of the ice box and are then turned downwardly, as shown. The downturned extremities of these brackets are forked, as shown, and in the"said forked extremities are mounted rollers 8. rIhe rollers carried by the brackets on one side Specification of Letters Patent.

from the tracks. To-

ratenten aug. i, raie.

' Application led March 8, 1916. Serial No. 82,971;

of the lid are' grooved or flanged, as shown at9 in Fig. `2, while the rollers on the other side are provided with smooth periph-, i

eries. The flanged or grooved rollers engage upstanding flanges 10 on the adjacent tracks, and this arrangement will prevent sidewise movement of the covers. The smooth-faced rollers run upon the smooth tracks, as shown at 11, and these smooth tracksv may be broaderthan the flanged tracks so that the covers and brackets may readily accommodate any incidental variation in the width of the doors `or the ice box. The smooth-faced rollers and tracks,'however, are particularly advantageous in maintaining the operative engagement of the parts notwithstanding the constant swelling and shrinking, of the ice box or covers under varying atmospheric conditions.

By referring to Fig.41, particularly, it'

will be noted that the brackets rare secured to the covers at the outer end of the same and nearthecenter thereof butbetween the centerand the inner end.` Thisdisposition of the brackets with the rollers carried by them, will cause the weight of the cover to be transmitted to the rollers in such a Inanner that .when released the rollers will gravitate to the lower ends of the tracks and thereby bring the covers against the top of the ice box, and also will permit the inner end of the raised cover to extend over the seated cover, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig.1. It will also be noted that `this arrangement of the brackets will permit either .cover to be moved inwardly or opened to its full extent without coming into contact with the brackets or rollers on theother cover. l

It is thought the operation of the device will be readily understood. The covers will rest fiat upon the top of the ice box over the openings through the same and will thereby seat or close without the rabbets or shoulders or cleats which tend to collect dirt and'thereby. render the ice box unsanitary. When it is rdesired to place Varticles in the ice box or t`o remove articles therefrom, the coyer 1s merely pushed inwardly and the rollers will thereupon ride upward on the tracks engaged by them and, when the cover reaches the inner limit of its movement, the inner rollers will seat inthe recesses or notches 5 and will be thereby .held against further traveluv When it is desired to close the ice box, it is necessary provision of any V merely'to apply sufficient force to the cover to unseat the roller, whereupon the weight of the cover will cause-the rollers to gravitate to the lower end of the track and firmly seat the cover upon the lid. The Sections 4 of the track are so disposed that the initial opening movement of the., lid is upward to clear the seated lid and, consequently, there is no interference between the lids.

My device is exceedingly simple in the construction and arrangement of its parts and may be applied to any ice box or refrigerator at a slight cost.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. The combination with an ice box, of a pair of covers therefor, tracks disposed on the sides of the ice box and inclined from their inner to their outer ends and having their inner ends extended past each other, and traveling members secured to the covers at the outer ends of the same and betweenthe centers thereof and the inner ends of the same to engage the tracks and permit either cover to be moved to a position over the other cover. e e

2. The combination with an ice' box, of a pair of covers therefor, tracks upon the sides of the icebox having their inner ends extended past each other and .inclined downlof longitudinal alinement wardly from their inner to their outer ends, stops at the innerfends of the tracks, brackets secured to the side edges of the covers and extending liaterally .Itherefrom and turned downwardly beyond the sides of the ice box, said brackets being located at the outer ends of the covers andbetween the inner ends and the centers rollers carried by the lower vextrenriities of said brackets and engaging the tracks, the rollers and brackets on one cover being out with the rollers and brackets on the other cover.

3. The combination with an ice bbx, of inclined tracks secured to the sides of the same and having their inner upper ends extended past each other, the tacks on one side of the ice box having upstanding flanges and the tracks at the other side of the ice box having smooth upper surfaces, covers for the ice box, and traveling members carried by said covers and adapted to ,ride upon said tracks, the traveling vmembers at `011e side being constructed to engage the Hanges of the tracks on that sideiand the traveling members on the other side being Smoothfaced to engage the smooth-face track.

' In testimony whereof I aihx my signature.

FREDERICK H. BAUER; [a 5.]

of the same, and 

